He doesn’t hide his age…

No! Before she did hide it.

What changed?

or was hostage to a sexist, misogynistic and heteropatriarchal male gaze. And I’m not anymore.

A look… what look?

The predatory gaze that judges a woman invisible.

¿Invisible?

Invisible as sexual prey, undesirable.

Did you believe you were sexually invisible?

Yes, and many women believe it, it is sad.

Women born in the sixties…

More than half do not proclaim their age.

What would I say to them?

Women, come out of that ageist closet! I proselytize this.

When did you leave?

I had a downturn when I was 50 years old. It took years away from me… One day I understood that I was assuming the script of the undesirable enemy.

What enemy?

That grumpy orc who considers me invisible. Do I want to be visible to that guy? No! So why does it affect me?

Good reflection.

And I stopped hiding my age, I came out of the closet.

And what did you feel?

Total happiness. I saw myself attractive and visible.

And did she paint her lips red?

Like my admired Carmen Alborch. Twenty years older than me, she did have merit: she dared to be showy and free, twenty years before! Alborch was a reference and friend.

You dress very colorfully.

Are intellectual capacity, rigor and professional competence at odds with colors, formal frivolity, and aesthetic joy?

No.

That’s why I use makeup, hair, miniskirts, colors in clothes, shoes… To be seen by the world, not by orcs.

The visible aspect as rebellion?

I will not act like before, when I was a television executive and was the only woman in meetings with men…

How did he act?

I resorted to a dull and bland look, to gain greater credibility and to avoid being accused of being a seductive female.

Two unfounded fears, right?

Already overcome! Whatever the rest of you say, now you’re going to see me! I am conceited and now I “produce” my appearance a lot.

How will you celebrate your 60 years?

In style! I’ll be fucking crazy.

Definitely.

I will lead a full life, focused on joy and pleasure: these are my goals for the rest of my life.

What was your mother like, 60 years old?

A very old lady. The difference with me is abysmal in ideas and aesthetics: the women of my farm have made the great leap compared to our mothers.

What jump, Mariola?

That of realizing very early, at a very young age! that we did not want our mothers’ lives for ourselves.

And what did you do?

Being the first in everything: going to university, having boyfriends, not getting married, competing for work, having an abortion, getting divorced, being independent…

And what does your 18-year-old daughter say today?

He wants to have my life!

Yeah?

You see, the opposite of me with my mother. I never saw desirable clothes in Mom’s closet…and my daughter and I share the same entire closet!

Illustrative example.

A sign that, in the entire history of Spain, there has not been another generation of women more powerful than ours.

You are in love with your generation.

Yes, I love the women of my generation, for being brave and for having so much in common… And I feel our sisterhood.

And what about a woman’s worst rival being another woman?

It’s false. We share a lot, we talk in depth, with substance and sincerity… but being ironic and fun. We go shoulder to shoulder… and we compete with each other, yes, when it’s time.

Mention me women you admire.

Ángeles González-Sinde, Isabel Coixet, Elvira Lindo, Gemma Nierga, Andie McDowell, Cate Blanchett…

What feminism are you?

There is only one feminism: the radical one, and it includes trans people. You can’t be a little feminist or a little anti-racist.

What are you looking for now?

That when I die I can say to myself: “I have had a full life.”

Should I ask a woman her age or not?

Your relationship will dictate it to you, you be natural and she will tell you. And then you tell her: “You look great!” And how many do you have?

63.